Drunk Shopping: 3 Apps that Save You from Impulse Spending

You think you’re in complete financial control – but we all have vices that can make us overspend. We spoke with money behaviorist Syble Solomon, and rounded up three tools to save you from yourself.

1. Drinking

You know to not drink and drive. You know to not drink and text your ex. But there’s another big problem: shopping while drunk! So someone’s made an app for that called DrnkPay. The idea behind DrnkPay is that you have to pass a Bluetooth-connected breathalyzer test to complete a purchase. Blow too drunk, and your credit card is temporarily frozen.

DrnkPay is a start-up, and the app and device aren’t available yet. But it could be worth giving it a try! “When you drink, all of your resistance goes down,” says Syble. “Your brain stops functioning in the highest level, where there’s really good judgement […] and you just react in the moment.” This app is genius!

2. Impulse Spending

Our next vice-busting tool is available now, and it attacks impulse spending. “When we get stressed, we have no willpower,” explains Syble. And no willpower means we crave those dopamine hits. “Dopamine makes you feel good,” adds Syble. “We lose our inhibitions, and we just react in the moment.” Reacting by hitting the “buy” button over and over – which feels great until the bills come in. The solution? A Chrome extension called Icebox.

Icebox lets you create your own “cooling period” in the settings. You can pick one day or 30 days – it’s totally up to you! And if you still want to buy the item, the purchase is allowed to go through. Once you’re not in the heat of the purchasing moment, you might not really want the item, which means money saved!

3. OCD Overspending

Finally, control your OCD overspending! If this is a vice you’re trying to curb, you’re definitely not alone – and there’s an app to help called BLINQ. In 2016, Americans returned 380-billion dollars’ worth of retail items. BLINQ makes sure those open boxes contain perfectly good products, then re-sells them at deep discounts. Why wouldn’t you do this? “For some people, it may be that they just can’t take a risk.” Get over your packing tape obsession and save some dough!